ENID: An Expert System for Fertiliser Prescription in the Cape Province of South Africa

ABSTRACT A lack of extension officers and a shortage and rapid turnover of research and regional management staff involved in plantation nutrition was seen as a problem in the Cape Province. Opportunities for increasing timber production by addition of fertilisers were being missed, wrong decisions were being made. To improve the situation an “expert system” was built to aid the manager's decision making, to provide an easily accessible source of otherwise hard to obtain information on fertilisation. The system, based on a synthesis of all available information, runs on microcomputer and questions the manager about his/her options and local conditions and makes a recommendation based on the responses. The programme is quick, interactive and can be interrogated about the reasons for its decision. It is readily updated as new information becomes available and will provide an increasing knowledge base for fertiliser decisions.

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